Powerless
by PunkVampy
Summary: Gabriel is guilty of crimes against the higher powers of Heaven. Lucifer is carrying out justice. if you can call it such a thing and for the second time, Michael feels completely powerless.
1. Chapter 1

_**Again I don't know how to explain this. In short, My family has been deciding to make my life a living hell. Seriously, I feel like Sam's tortured soul getting deep fried in oil. So, I needed to make Gabriel suffer with me. Yes, That is how my insane mind works. I once killed a character that I really like because I had indigestion. :/ Anyhoo, Michael and Luci in this chapter. Violence-ish. But you wont find it offensive unless you're an angel. **_

_**CHAPTER TWO SHOULD BE UP A.S.A.P!**_

_**Punk **_

Lucifer wasn't the brother that Gabriel remembered. He was twisted in more ways than one could imagine. Black and sinister. He was consumed with such an amount of undying hate for the world that it had actually taken a chunk out of his sanity. If it was even there in the first place. The reason why Gabriel was so repelled to call the thing his elder brother all dwindled down to one reason.

His grace.

No matter how much Gabriel searched for it, Lucifer didn't have any grace. Well, he did. If a shrivelled lifeless lump of angelic power counted as such a thing.

Lucifer had fallen. Fallen from grace. Fallen from power. Fallen from Heaven…

Fallen from family.

Every single fibre of the devil's being was evil. Obviously, you would suspect such a thing if one was to call a person a devil. But that statement was overruled by most. You see, Lucifer was so evil that his vessels heart, whoever it was at the time, stopped. After five minutes of being possessed by the fallen angel, the human heart would be consumed by the darkness. And…it would stop. Like a broken clock.

But even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day. Gabriel was Lucifer's little brother. He had known the devil before he was burdened with such a title. He knew him when he was his big brother. The one that he respected, the one that he tried to be like. The one that he ran to whenever he was scared or hurt when he was little. He knew him when he was Lucifer. Morning Star. Heaven's pride and joy. The big brother that Gabriel deserved.

But that was all in the past now.

Gabriel was walking down the street in New York. In the centre of Times Square. The hustle and bustle of people and tourists didn't falter the angels demeaning gaze or the way that he walked, with his hands buried deep in the pockets of his green coat with his head bowed. Long golden brown hair hanging in his face.

He was frightened.

He had disobeyed.

It was at times like these that he wished that he was a smoker. That would calm his nerves. But he wasn't. So instead he did the next best thing.

A Hershey's Bar. Cookies 'n' Chocolate.

Gabriel managed a hollow, empty smile as he opened up the wrapper.

_Yeah. This'll do. _

For a minute or two…he was normal Gabriel again.

That is, until he turned down that back alley. That is, until he felt the wind brush past the back of his neck. That is, until there was a flutter of wings and the devil appeared in front of him.

"Hello again…little brother."

The punches weren't even hurting anymore. Gabriel had given up on all attempts of fighting back. There wasn't much point anyway.

There was a certain demonic glint in Lucifer's eyes. Such a melancholic glint that it quadrupled the fear in The Tricksters heart. The Hershey's Bar was on the floor. Gritty, spattered in blood and forgotten. Gabriel chanced the thought of what a waste it was, but banished the thought from his mind when Lucifer grabbed his throat and pinned him to the wall. Gabriel grabbed at his elder brother's wrists, fingernails scratching into skin as he gasped for the air that was being choked out of him.

Gabriel thought he had been through it all. All the pain. All the torment. He was wrong. Lucifer still had one last trick up his sleeve. Gabriel watched as the morning star pressed two fingers to Gabriel. Near where his collar bones met. Lucifer closed his eyes in concentration. And that was when Gabriel started screaming.

He saw his grace evaporating through the blurry tears in his eyes. Surely someone would hear him screaming, surely someone would hear his cries…but no-one did. Because Lucifer had made them both sightless and soundless. No-one even remembered seeing the young man turn down that back alley way, and they certainly couldn't hear his screams. Lucifer didn't take all of his grace. If he did that two things would happen.  
A) Gabriel would be fallen, and therefore, a worse excuse for an angel than Lucifer himself. And finally B)…Well…that just wouldn't be any fun would it?

A cat always plays with the captured mouse before it finally sinks its jaws into its throat. And Lucifer was doing the very same. He reached out a hand to gently card his fingers through his brothers hair, but instead he grabbed a fistful and slammed the younger angels head back into the wall.

"Did you not think…Gabriel?" Lucifer said, in his same intimidating tone. Icy eyes scanning over each and every inch of his little brothers face. "Did you not think that I would notice? That the little brat that I raised…the coward of an angel that walks the earth had made a little allegiance with Dean and Sam Winchester?"

Gabriel just grunted in pain. Lucifer let go of him, the younger boy dropping to the floor. Gabriel rubbed his bruised neck.  
"Allegiance or not, Give my grace back and get your slimy two-faced ass back to hell where you belong."

Lucifer's face twisted into rage. He kicked the small angel in the ribs, repeatedly for about 10 minutes. Gabriel spluttered and coughed up blood every single time that the devils steel tipped boot collided with his already shattered ribs.

"Did you not learn from the last time? DID YOU NOT LEARN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TALK BACK TO ME?" Lucifer screamed. Kicking Gabriel in the jaw this time.

"Lucifer. Stop."

Lucifer's head snapped up.

"Michael." He practically spat the name. Lucifer slowly got to his feet. "You are not needed here, brother."

"Neither is he." Michael said, softly. Nodding over at the shrivelled heap that was their little brother.

Lucifer laughed harshly. "You don't know what he has done. The boy needs to be punished."

"Yes. He does. But not with the actions that you have carried out, brother. His grace is of no matter to this—"

"I don't care." The Devil interrupted. "He needed to suffer. As I have suffered."

"You suffered because of my actions, Lucifer. Because of Fathers orders. Gabriel had nothing to do with it. He was just a boy!" Michael's voice was getting louder, echoing off the walls.

"He still is!" Lucifer roared. "And he is still as oblivious as ever!"

"Leave." Michael said, lowering his head.

When the devil did nothing Michael let his true voice show, thunder clashed and an earthquake rumbled somewhere in the mountains of Japan.

"LEAVE!"

With a flutter of reluctant wings Lucifer was gone. Michael lowered himself to his knees near his little brother. He ran his fingers through Gabriel's hair. Eyes closing when he felt the younger angel flinch away. Michael's heart boiled in anger when he heard the whispered words, the ramblings of the unstable person Gabriel had become:

"Please don't hurt me. I'm sorry. I'll be good…I'll listen…please d-don't…"

"Sssh…" Michael soothed, lifting his brothers chin. "It's alright Gabriel…"

"M-Mike-e-e.." Gabriel stammered on his words as more blood spurted out of his mouth.

Michael tucked his little brothers head under his chin, and wrapped his wings around him tightly.

"It's ok Little One." Michael said, as Gabriel sobbed quietly in pain and terror.

"Big brother's here…" Michael soothed. He found himself rocking back and forth; tangling his fingers in the back of his little brothers hair. Just like the way he used to when Gabriel was a small innocent seraph with a grazed knee and bullying problems.

It was strange when Michael looked down and saw Gabriel. Now a fully grown fully capable angel. Even if was the equivalent of a twenty one year old in human years. He was still his little brother, still the scared little boy that just wanted the arguments to stop. And it sickened Michael. Gabriel was a bright little kid. And he always seemed to put a smile on Father's face no matter what mood he was in. But he knew that he had been hurt by all the centuries of arguing. Everyone was hurt by it. But Gabriel was targeted the most. He did live with them after all.

"It's all going to be ok now, little one."

Gabriel made a little noise. "*Dnt cll me that.*" His voice was muffled by the fabric of the young John Winchester's shirt. Michael smiled hollowly.

"Why ever not? You used to love it when you were little."

Gabriel lifted his head to stare his elder brother right in the eyes. "Lucifer used to call me that. Luci was the one that came up with it, remember?"

Michael bit his lip. He had almost forgotten that…How Lucifer used to be.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

Gabriel laughed. But it wasn't his normal laugh, filled with his normal snarky humour and joy. It was lifeless and bleak…and _not_ Gabriel.

"You're not sorry." He spat. He tried to pull away from his brother, but let out a little yelp when he felt a sudden pain shoot up his spine. It wasn't a normal pain. It was the hollow ache you get when you know you've broken on something. Gabriel hissed, but continued through clench teeth. "If you were sorry you wouldn't have let him do this to me in the first place."

"You disobeyed orders, Gabriel. Even I can't protect you from that. Armeleus and Griffith set out a commandment to all the angels to not…" Michael cleared his throat as he gathered up the courage he knew he would need.  
"To not…"

"Do the same thing that Cassy did?" Gabriel asked, his voice croaking as it rumbled through his battered throat.  
Michael lowered his head. "Yes."

"Well that's just great, seeing as I was the one that did it in the first place."

Michael donned a confused look.

Gabriel shook his head. Deep deep down a little voice in his head was screaming:

_Oh well that was intelligent, genius. Seal you goddamn fate why don't you?  
_

_Idiot._

But he had started now. And there was not much point in not finishing off what he started.

"Castiel is being hunted down because he is the only angel that is in allegiance with Dean and Sam Winchester. One of the reasons for this is because he is the first angel that Dean Winchester ever met. The First angel that had anything to do with The Winchester Family."

Michael nodded. This was old news.

Gabriel shot his brother an obvious look. "I was the first angel that they met! I was the first one that they tangled with! Ok, sure so what we have isn't exactly an _allegiance_ but its something of the sort!"

Michael shook his head. "Brother, you're getting confused."

"I'm not! Sure, so maybe I was The Trickster at the time but it was still me!...It was still a friggin archangel in their presence….." Gabriel sighed. "I'm guilty, Mike. That's why Lucifer did this to me. He was just carrying out justice."

And Michael didn't know what to do.

For the second time in his life, his little baby brother was in trouble and he was utterly useless.

Completely.

Powerless.

_**CHAPTER TWO SHOULD BE UP SOON!**_

_**THANKS!  
R+R **_


	2. Chapter 2

Michael sat there for some time. He didn't know what to do. How could he save Gabriel? Michael was a good son. He didn't disobey orders. If someone was guilty of a crime then the had to be punished.

But Gabriel…his little Gabriel…

Michael closed his eyes. He had never felt so powerless in his life. His eyes suddenly flicked open with sudden realisation. _Oh Father…no..._

_**Sometime after Adam and Eve.**_

To tell the truth, Michael had felt powerless on one other occasion. But it was a long long time ago. So long ago; that the humans were mere savages. Heaven was a different back then. The Heaven that Dean and Sam were used to was in the middle of what the angels would come to call:

The Age Of Freedom.

Castiel had changed the rules for everyone. He had rebelled when no one else dared to. And, as Balthazar had told him  
"You ripped up the pages for all of us" But this is before that. Millennia's before that.

As it is in Heaven, so it must be on earth.

Gabriel's words. There have been many battles in Heaven. Some historical, others not so. The Two Great Wars Of Heaven were fought for centuries at a time. Of course, time is different in Heaven. The last time Michael, the eldest of all the angels, felt powerless was during the first of the Two Great Wars Of Heaven. The first war was different to the other war. The second war was set off by Lucifer. He was cast out of Heaven for disagreeing with Fathers orders. Father told all of the angels to love the humans. To bow down to them. But that just didn't wash with Lucifer. So he went down to earth on the quiet, he found an innocent girl. A mere child. And he twisted her soul. Twisted so many times that it turned black. He created the first demon. Lilith.

Lilith went on to create more and more demons. And in the end, Lucifer rallied his troops and stormed Heaven. That was the Second War of Heaven. But the first war, where this story takes place, differed from the second. The first war was caused by the rebels. These rebels were different to Castiel. Castiel rebelled mainly against the HH's. (Holy Hosts. Sort of like Heaven's CIA.)He also rebelled for Free Will and Dean and Sam Winchester's protection. These rebels were led by one of the most feared angels in the garrison. Argento.

Argento was a very thin, very bony being. His hair had long since disappeared. Because of this fact he was always rumoured to wear a thick leather cloak with the hood up, leaving his face in shadows .

Always rumoured, never seen. But Michael had seen him. On one murky morning on the moors of Northern Heaven. Argento The Merciless. That was his title. And he lived up to it. When your eyes first met with the angel of darkness; they would only linger there for a brief moment. The sight would be too much to bare. (Whether you were of Angel blood or not)

Half of what made Argento so terrifying was his eye. His left eyes was pure white. No pupil. Just white. It would shine out like a beacon in the night from the darkness the hood casted across his face. A broad scar sliced its way through his eye. Beginning at the top of his head and ending near his mouth. The scar itself was shrivelled and old. The other reason for him being so feared would, as his name stated, was his lack of mercy. Whether the victims were 80 or 8, male or female, adult or child, if they weren't on his side they would be killed right where they stood.

Entire villages had been ransacked. Flames destroying lives. Heaven was in ashes. And so was Gabriel's heart .

The eleven year old stared out of the window. His eyes were sad and bleak. Eyes that had seen too much for a boy of his age. The rain blurred his vision. Not that it mattered. The innocent fields of Heaven were yet to be tarnished with the ash of fallen angels. But Gabriel knew it was going to happen. Angels were going to die.

He was so transfixed by his somewhat impending doom that he didn't notice his eldest brother in the doorway. Michael sighed. "Gabe…"

Gabriel looked over his shoulder. "Oh, hey Mike."

"You ready to go?"  
Gabriel shrugged. When Michael looked a little closer at his little brother he noticed something. "Oh for goodness sake you haven't even put your armour on!" He strided into Gabriel's room.

The 11 year old just shrugged again. Michael sighed. "Gabriel, none of us want this to happen…"

"Neither did Balthazar and Castiel! But they still got sent away with all the other kids!"

Michael sighed again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that recently. "I knew you should've gone with them. You're just a child. Why father wont listen to me, I don't know—"

"It's because I'm different isn't it?" Gabriel interrupted. "Because I'd be useful in the fight, because I could do damage."

"It's nothing of the sort—" Michael began.

"Don't lie." Gabriel whispered. In a way this hurt Michael's feelings more than if he had shouted the words. Michael sat down on the bed next to him, placing the chain mail to one side.

"Gabriel…look at me."

The boy didn't meet his eyes.

Michael slid off the bed and knelt down in front of the younger angel. "Look at me, Little one." He lifted Gabriel's head gently and wiped his little brothers tears away with his thumb. "It's alright, Gabriel."

"Oh coz I really believe that." The younger angel mumbled as he wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve. Michael bit his lip and sat down next to him once more. "Come here, Little One." He pulled Gabriel into his arms. Gabriel sat there, his cheek pressed into the cool steel of Michael's armour. Michael brushed a hand through his hair. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Balthazar and Castiel are safe…they're away from all of this."

"I hate fighting…" Gabriel croaked. Trying to control himself. He couldn't help feeling embarrassed when he cried in front of Michael.

"I know you do, Child."

There was silence for a few moments. Gabriel had his eyes closed, soothed by the sound of Michael's heart beating. The motion of his elder brothers chest rising and falling as he breathed. Gabriel was so scared of losing his brothers. He couldn't get the image out of his head…of Michael or Lucifer…or even worse Balthazar and little Castiel…not breathing. Not living…

He screwed his eyes shut even tighter and clung onto his elder brother like a lifeline. Michael shushed him gently, and rubbed his hand up and down Gabriel's back.

"Can't we just leave? Let the others fight it out?" Gabriel whispered.

Michael laughed a little. "The troops need their General, Gabriel. I wont let them sacrifice their lives without being there with them"

The eleven year old considered this for a few moments. "Well…cant I just go? I don't mind being a coward—"

"I do." Michael muttered. "I don't want to sign your death warrant. Cowardice is punished by death, you know."

"But Mike—"

"No, Gabriel, I wont talk about this any further." He got to his feet. Gabriel looked up at him sheepishly.

"Let's get your armour on."

…

Lucifer was waiting for them when they finally got to the battlefield. He saluted Michael. Gabriel winced. They were all brothers. No-one should have to salute anyone.

"The rebels are approaching on the western front."

Michael nodded grimly. "Where is Armeleus?" Lucifer pointed in the direction of the other General's presence. Michael nodded again. "Very good." He began to walk away. But looked over his shoulder when he realised something.

"Oh and, Lucifer?"

"Yes sir?"

"Look after Gabriel."  
Lucifer nodded and tussled his little brothers hair. "When haven't I looked after him?"  
Michael and Lucifer shared a smile. This was before the arguments had begun between the two brothers.

Lucifer started to walk towards the rest of the troops. But he frowned when he noticed that Gabriel wasn't following. "Don't make me have to carry you."

Gabriel sighed and followed his elder brother. grunting in pain at the weight of the armour on his body.  
"Got your sword?"

"Uh-huh." Gabriel mumbled, poking at some grass with his boot.

"Remember what I taught you. Stab them, let their grace shine through, twist and let 'em drop."

Gabriel nodded. Lucifer placed his hands on the boys shoulders. "Only use your power if you have to. I don't want to be the one that has to clean up your guts."

"Nice sentiment, bro." Gabriel rolled his eyes. Lucifer chuckled. Both brothers looked up when they heard a horn being blown, echoing hauntingly over the wind. "Come on, we better get going. Don't want them to start without us do we?" Lucifer meant for that to be a joke, but all he got in return was a shrug.

"Aw, cheer up, Little One."

"How can I? We're all gonna die."

"Always nice to have an optimist with you." Lucifer dead panned.

Gabriel closed his eyes tightly. _I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this…please don't make me do this._

But he did. They made him fight. They made him kill. And It wasn't fair.

But when was war ever fair?

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. _Something is not right._ The horn had been blown. The battle had begun,and yet there was nothing. He couldn't hear a single thing. No battle cries, no deathrattles…not even the ever present clanking of angel blades being smashed together that he had become so accustomed to.

"Gabriel…get you sword ready."

The boy did as he was told.

The brothers turned a sharp corner….

And Gabriel was nearly sick.

Bodies. Everywhere. Women..children…babies…dead. gone. The whole cliff surface was covered in bodies and the ground itself was turfed with the ashy wings that marked an angels grave. Gabriel swallowed down the urge of throwing up breakfast and stuck close to Lucifer. He couldn't help looking down at the bodies. _Oh Father….I know some of these angels…_

Ingrid. Fifteen. One of the sweetest girls that attended All Hallows High was lying a few feet away. He throat slashed open, her grace still bleeding out.

Hoseph. A sports jock. 18. Face virtually missing.

And Mikel. Mikel was Gabriel's friend. Gabriel's best friend. Gabriel just stared. Stared for some time. And then sicked up breakfast onto the side of the road.

"Is anyone alive out here?" Lucifer called. Brandishing his sword just in case.

"Oh, yes…" A voice came from behind. "I'm still alive."

All Gabriel remembered was hearing Lucifer shout out in shock or surprise…and the a sudden pain on the back of his head..

And then….darkness


End file.
